Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-02-05
LOST IN THE STORM.
Mrs. Edward Walters ia Frozen to
Death Upon the Prairie.

4OS1 IN TdG SVOdm.
Mrs. Edward Walters is Frozen to
Death Upon the Prairie.
North Dakota has been traduced as the
land of billiards. and dosolating cold.
The perils to life and property have been
magnified and multiplied until people
unfamiliar with the facts begin to believe
that we live in . climate of disaster and
perpetual distress. Yet thinly settled as
our country is, and remote from each
other Is neighbors dwell, not until now
has the Devils Lake country given tn
record the loss Of life from cold and
storm unassisted by the mental and ply.
steal torpidity Of ofintoxication.
The news that Mrs. Edward Walters
had perishsd In the storm Of Friday and
Saturday reached our town on Monday
morning. The story Of the discovery Of
her frozen body Ia told by her neighbors
with many tears.
Mr.. and Mrs. Walters resided on their
farm about eight miles northeast Of Dev-
lis Lake. Their nearest neighbors were
Messrs. Blass, Fleck and Lsduc, each
about one-half mile distant. Mr.. Walters
left home and came to town on Friday
morning. At about 10 q. m. the storm
began, and steadily increased through
the day, and when night came was rag
ing with extraordinary violence. Mr..
Walters saw the futility Of attempting
to travel in such storm and remained
in town over night.
Saturday was day to be remembered.
Not more than once in q decade of years
do such volumes of snow, such fierce
winds and such extremely low tempera-
turs cooperate for such baneful day.
The density Of the storm obliterated all
prairie land marks and made travel su.
perlatively perilous. 1t was, therefore,
not until Sunday morning when the
storm had subsidized that Mr.. Walters has
tened home only to encounter the tear
stained faces of his friends and learn the
sorrow conjured up for him in the tenn
pestuous hours Of his absence.
On Sunday morning Mr.. Blass seeing
no signs of life at Walters home, went
over there and found the door locked.
In some alarm he hastened to Mr.. Leduc's
and thence to Mr.. Fleck's. Finding no
trace of the missing family, the party
started to search for them. They went
first to the house and assured themselves
that it was vacant. From the house they
thought they could detect tracks leading
easterly toward tho residence of MIR. LIE.
due. Their search was accordingly made
in that direction and was soon rewarded
by the discovery Of the body of the un-
fortunate woman. She was lying short
distance from the road upon the open
prairie partly covered by the snow and
only about one quarter of mile from
her own door.
Mrs. Walters was Of German birth,
had only been resident of America
about eight months and hence had never
experienced Dakota winter. What led
her to go out into the storm is, of course,
q matter Of conjecture only. She is
known to have been somewhat timid
about remaining alone, especially u
night, and it is probable that the pro.
longed absence Of her husband and the
fury of the storm terrified her and she
determined to 90 to her nearest neigh.
bors. It seems likely that she left her
home sometime Friday afternoon or
evening. The storm soon blinded hel
and she lost her way. How long she
struggled against her fate no one will
ever know. The snow about the spot
where she lay indicated that she walked
about in small circle for long time
after she had given up in despair the at
tempt to find her way to her friends.
The lost woman was % years Of age
She came to America last spring at the
solicitation Of her brother, Conrad Pfeis.
ter, who resides near tho east end o.
Freshwater lake, and four months attel
her arrival she married Edward Walters
At the time of her death she had beer
married but four months. She was not I
strong woman and In such exposure hel
swift doom overlook her in . short time
The uncertain evidence Of her footsteps
IN the snow is all the testimony Of hel
last sufferings we can obtain. Undoubt
edly she became chilled when she haC
gone short distance and undertook t<
return to her house in face Of the storm
A much stronger person would hav,
failed as she did. The driving snow pre-
vented her from seeing her own house o.
the houses ofher neighbors and very soor
she realized that she was lost. Thor
came the desperate fight for life. eve
growing weaker until the end.
The death Of Mrs. Walters Is deeply
bewailed by her friends and neighbor
with whom she was general fav0rite
The sympathy of the entire communitV
is with the bereaved husband in hi